Stepping into the Ten Thousand Gu Cave sacred ground was completely different from the demonic-energy-filled, deathly silent and oppressive scene of last time. The valley was full of vitality inside. The originally scorched black earth burned by demonic fire was newly covered with lush green grass and strange flowers. The air was permeated with refreshing grass-wood fragrance and a mind-calming pure aura. The once violent Gu insects were also much quieter, hiding in grass crevices and stone cracks, issuing fine, harmonious chirps.
All the changes originated from the valley's deepest part—a light source suspended in mid-air.
It was a flame about the size of a human head, its form constantly changing. It wasn't the common flame's red or orange-yellow, but presented a pure, flawless milky white color, with faint seven-colored halos flowing at the edges. The flame quietly burned, not emitting any scorching heat, but instead giving a warm, gentle, mother's-embrace-like feeling. Where it passed, the air became exceptionally fresh, vegetation more vigorous, even light seemed purified by it, becoming more pure.
This was the Purifying World Spirit Flame!
It was like the heart of the entire sacred ground's revival, radiating majestic power to purify all filth and nourish all living things' vitality. The purification meaning it contained was more ancient, more original than Xiao Qi's own Purification Source, even faintly touching a trace of "creation" laws' edge!
Xiao Qi could clearly feel the jade pendant on his chest slightly heating up. The Purification Source within him was like meeting a monarch, transmitting emotions interwoven with awe and longing. This spiritual flame was indeed same-source with him, and at a higher level!
Zhao Tiezhu and the rabbit spirit also felt the spiritual flame's extraordinariness. Zhao Tiezhu widened his eyes, muttering: "My goodness, this fire... just looking at it makes one feel comfortable inside." The rabbit spirit intoxicatedly breathed in, its small paw pointing at the spiritual flame, squeaking.
However, when Xiao Qi tried to approach, the space around the Purifying World Spirit Flame slightly distorted, an invisible, gentle yet resilient force field blocking him outside. It wasn't rejecting, but more like an examination and test.
Village Chief Mu Yan had said this flame had extremely high spirituality and naturally had its pride, needing to obtain its recognition.
Xiao Qi stopped, knowing the test had begun. He didn't forcefully charge that force field, but slowly sat cross-legged right there, at a distance of ten zhang from the spiritual flame, closing his eyes. He understood that this kind of heaven-and-earth spiritual object's test was definitely not brute force, but the Dao heart.
He emptied his mind, no longer thinking about how to subdue it, but trying to communicate his intent with that Purifying World Spirit Flame, showing it his "Dao."
He recalled bit by bit his journey all along.
Xu Lan Mountain Villa's destruction, family broken and dead, wandering to Clear Void Temple... That was the initial grief and confusion, also the most primitive desire for "guardianship."
Inside Clear Void Temple, from a "little waste" everyone looked down upon, step by step growing under Master's, senior brother and sister's care, feeling the sect's warmth and responsibility, the guardian thought had concrete attachment.
Northern Plains ice plains, friendship with Snow Plains Giant Wolf Tribe, trade with Ice Crystal Phoenix, making him understand guardianship wasn't exclusive possession, but could be coexistence and mutual aid.
Western Desert ancient city, facing Buddha-demon intertwined ruins, purifying demonic thoughts, borrowing relic power to suppress demonic energy, making him deeply understand that power's true meaning lay in the heart, guardianship needed thunderous means, also needed compassionate heart.
East Sea, Central Plains... Scene after scene of experiences, kind after kind of insights, like a scroll flowing through his heart. His guardian Dao, from the initial narrow guardianship of family and sect, gradually expanded to broad guardianship of friends, the innocent, and even this heaven and earth's righteous path. His Purification Source, from the initial expelling evil and avoiding poison, sublimated to a higher level of purifying human hearts and cleansing filth.
He transmitted this guardian heart tempered through tribulations and increasingly firm, this purification thought containing all things and guiding toward goodness, without reservation, like trickling streams, toward that Purifying World Spirit Flame.
In the intent he transmitted, there was no greed, no possession, only a kind of resonance and prayer—praying to be able to stand side by side with this higher-level purification power, to guard more beauty worth guarding, to purify more filth and suffering in the world.
Time seemed to stop at this moment.
That Purifying World Spirit Flame slightly swayed. In the milky white flame, countless tiny light points seemed to flash, as if examining every thought, every emotion Xiao Qi transmitted.
It felt that sincere guardian heart, felt that increasingly pure purification origin tempered through trials, also felt Xiao Qi's desire for higher realms, stronger power—but that desire wasn't for selfish gain or domination, but to better fulfill that guardian responsibility.
Gradually, that invisible force field began weakening.
The Purifying World Spirit Flame's surrounding space fluctuations became peaceful. It seemed... to have recognized this Dao heart.
However, just as Xiao Qi slightly relaxed, thinking the test was about to pass, the spiritual flame's light suddenly changed! The milky white flame fiercely expanded, completely pulling Xiao Qi's mind into a pure white world!
This wasn't an attack, but a deeper interrogation!
In the pure white world, countless scenes emerged:
He saw Clear Void Temple reduced to ruins under demonic cultivators' siege, Eldest Senior Brother, Third Senior Sister, Master... all familiar faces fighting bloodily, finally falling, their eyes filled with unresigned worry about him (Xiao Qi)...
He saw Zhao Tiezhu torn to pieces by powerful enemies while covering him, before dying still showing him a foolish smile...
He saw the world in chaos, demonic path running rampant, living beings suffering, everything he wanted to guard, all collapsing and destroying before his eyes...
A huge sadness, powerlessness and anger surged into his heart! Guard? With what to guard? Before absolute power, the so-called guardian heart was how fragile and ridiculous!
A temptation-filled voice sounded in his heart, as if originating from the Purifying World Spirit Flame itself: "See? Guardianship will eventually be futile, loss is the inevitable outcome. Give up. Merge with me, incarnate as pure purification laws, emotionless and desireless, attachment-free, only then can you obtain great freedom, great ease. Why carry that heavy shackle?"
This was the most fundamental interrogation of the Dao heart! Choose to be supremely emotionless, incarnating as heavenly Dao-like pure laws? Or continue to persist on that "guardian" path full of pain and loss?
Xiao Qi's mind violently shook in the pure white world. The despair in those illusions was so real, that temptation's whisper was so moving.
But after just a moment's wavering, his eyes once again erupted with incomparably firm light!
He looked at the ruins and lost family and friends in those illusions, his voice though echoing in consciousness, carrying decisive power:
"Guardianship may fail, may lose, but precisely because of this, it must be done even more! If abandoning guardianship due to fear of loss, how is that different from the demonic path? How is that different from walking corpses?"
"My Dao is in this mortal world, in these attachments! Guardianship is not a shackle, but my forward motivation! Purification is not heartlessness, but to preserve more beauty!"
"Even if the road ahead is thorny, even if I'll eventually walk alone, this heart... will not change!"
"Boom—!"
The pure white world shattered along with his firm Dao heart declaration!
Mind returning to reality, Xiao Qi fiercely opened his eyes. Divine light clear in his pupils, his Dao heart unprecedentedly clear and firm!
And that Purifying World Spirit Flame, now having restrained all radiance, transformed into a docile, fist-sized milky white flame, like a returning swallow, lightly and actively flew toward Xiao Qi, hovering before him, emitting intimacy and recognition aura.
The test, passed!